US sails warships past disputed islands in South China Sea

The United States has sailed two warships past a handful of disputed islands in the South China Sea, a move that drew the ire of Beijing.

A US official told CNN that the guided-missile destroyer USS Higgins and the cruiser USS Antietam sailed withing 12 miles of four of the Paracel Islands in its what the US Navy calls a "freedom of navigation operation," which are meant to enforce the right of free passage in international waters.